


End of the World

by Zy_Khrymzynn



Series: Nathmarc November 2020 [27]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, Babel Tower v2, M/M, Post-Apocalypse, Unspecified Apocalyptic Event
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-27
Updated: 2020-11-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:47:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27751792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zy_Khrymzynn/pseuds/Zy_Khrymzynn
Summary: NMN Day 27: LanguageAn unspecified and mysterious apocalyptic event means that nobody can communicate because they speak different languages.
Relationships: Marc Anciel/Nathaniel Kurtzberg
Series: Nathmarc November 2020 [27]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1995844
Comments: 1
Kudos: 6





	End of the World

A singular snowflake floated down from the cloudy dark grey sky, landing on the empty street. It lasted only a second before melting into water, joining the other snowflakes that melted into water and caused the street to be wet. A second snowflake fell a second later, this time landing on a blade of brown grass, and joined the other snowflakes that were resting on the dead grass. More followed, a gentle snowfall falling down, one by one covering the brown grass.

Not everything that fell from the shadowy sky was snow however, as a white speck landed on the black asphalt of the street, its deeply irregular shape showed that it was not a tiny ice crystal, but a small speck of ash. A gust of wind, unnaturally warm in the still cold air, moved the snow and ash along the ground and in the air, twirling around in the air, until the gust calmed down, and everything returned to a still state.

A blacl boot landed on the show that covered the dead grass, making a slight crunching noise. A flashlight shone out into the dimness, illuminating the snow and showing specks dancing through the shining path. A figure looked up at the sky, and held out a gloved hand. A snowflake and a piece of ash both landed on the dark grey and orange rubber glove, and the figure raised his gloved hand to look closer at it, his glove almost touching the gas mask on his face.

_ “It’s still raining ash and acid snow.”  _ The figure spoke, his voice had a slight robotic twang to it, as if someone ran it through a digital filter.  _ “I thought it might have stopped now, but I guess I was wrong. Maybe I should find somewhere, it is almost dusk now.” _

The figure lowered his hand, turned off his headlamp, and continued walking up the road that led to the top of a hill. Once he summited the peak of the hill, he could see all around, including the ruins of a city. Which one? It didn’t matter, they all looked the same now. Walls and floors made of stone and concrete, glassless window frames, and even the wreckage of a skyscraper in the center of the city, half-destroyed but still standing. Maybe he’ll find someone here that can understand his speech. What language did he speak? He didn’t really know, it didn’t really have a name now.

He adjusted the belts on the outside of his bodysuit, making sure his backpack was secure, and started walking down into the city. He’d heard rumors there were areas where people had developed new ways to communicate, maybe this city was the place.

“Agola! Maaak bu!” Another figure, dressed in a complicated array of animal furs and more complex cloth, wielding a baseball bat with nails embedded in it in one hand, and a chipped sword in the other. It looked like a double-bladed shortsword, but it was chipped and cracked.

_ “Hello? Can you understand me?” _ He asked, but the person didn’t respond, and instead charged forward at him. He pulled something from between his backpack and back and flipped it open. It was a foldable spear, one of his best melee weapons. He readied a stance and got ready to sidestep and then strike, but before he had the chance to do any of that, there was a whirring noise and then an arrow in the chest, knocking the charging figure to the ground. He looked to see who had fired the arrow, and it was a female figure dressed in body armor, bow in hand.

“Eka eyis no leji xien?” The woman asked.

He shook his head, and thankfully that movement was something she understood as him not understanding her, and she dashed away. He breathed a sigh of relief that at least him shaking his head was understood. But he wanted an interaction where he could speak the same, or at least a similar language.

Despite how close the city looked, it took him an hour to walk to the outskirts and it was already dark. He didn’t trust his night vision goggles, and it was too dangerous for him to use his headlamp or flashlight. It took some searching, but he ended up finding a small room that had a door that locked. Sure there was only a chair, but he’d slept in worse conditions before, so he walked across the concrete floor covered in glass, wood, and various debris and started setting up various noise making traps, and even some deadlier traps. He took another device out of his backpack. It was a smallish metal box, but he twisted the top of it and the noise of gears and a whirring noise started. After counting out thirty seconds he unclasped his gas mask and took a breath of fresh air. Alright, it’s time to get everything done. He quickly took off everything he was wearing and laid it on the ground, grabbing an aerosol container that made things smell like fresh pine, so he sprayed it over everything. Then he took another thing out of his backpack, and cracked it over his head. Water poured out, and then the cube he’d grabbed turned into dust. Not many people tried to take care of their health out in the wild, but that was something he prided himself on. He used the extra water to start cleaning the jumpsuit he wore under the protective gear, and then threw it in a compartment in his backpack. It would dry in there.

He finished drying himself and the gear that needed it, and then put it all back on. Once everything was back on except his gloves, goggles, and gas mask, he grabbed yet another thing out of his backpack, a survivalist bar. Not the best of food, but he can’t really afford to be picky.

Once he finished the bar, he sealed everything up and deactivated the Cube. At the rate he was going, he only had about three more days left on the Cube and five days for the power source on his backpack, a week and a half of food and two weeks of water. Not much, but he needed to get out of the radiation zone before the three days worth of the Cube.

He woke up in the morning, activated the Cube once more, and drank some water and ate another bar for breakfast, and then started walking. If he only had three days for the Cube, he needed to get as far away from the center as he could. Maybe if he traveled far enough he’d find someone he can actually understand.

When he got up from his chair he could feel soreness and stiffness in his legs, his muscles protesting the movement. But he can’t stop now, he’s so close to the edge, ash is barely falling in the sky. Maybe in three days he can get far enough away that the winds won’t reach him, the ash won’t fall from the sky, and maybe he could see the blue sky.

Despite the protests of his muscles, he made his way through the city and beyond, occasionally seeing people, but the moment they opened their mouths to speak, he turned away. They couldn’t understand him, he couldn’t understand them, some were violent, some were not.   
“Du esvtin dji?”

“Zrn krankh hrog?”

“Istherea yausiyoso, so aiisoe mathereathrelle!”

“Norhit higet bsiode?”

“Fliek!”

“Nierjjiel~”

He ended the day hiding out in an abandoned watermill, still not having found anyone he could speak with. At least the ash was free from the sky, but what was now rain that was falling was still acidic, most likely. There wasn’t really anywhere comfortable to rest at this place, so after doing his nightly routine, he managed to only slip into sleep because of his sheer exhaustion.

Morning time, he dragged his body into standing and stretched to get the sheer tiredness out of his limbs. It didn’t help that much, but he had to keep going. The skies were lighter this time, but they were still an unnatural grey, and the ground was littered with pools of acid rain. He trudged along until his limbs buckled under him, his legs refusing to carry him any further. No, this won’t do. He crawled over to the nearby forest and found a decent enough hiking stick, using that and a nearby tree (that looked like it was still alive) he managed to get back on his feet and continue his slow walk down the path. It wasn’t even 4pm yet, but it looked like he needed to find a place to rest. He may have been working his body a bit too hard.

He stumbled again, this time on a loose rock that he barely saw, because his vision had been blurry for the past mile now, but he hadn’t paid it any attention. Damn, looks like he was paying for that. He’d regained his footing, and then stumbled again, tripping on his own two feet. Not enough time to get a hiking stick. He pulled out the extendable spear, and used that to walk, using the spear and stick as improvised crutches until he finally just couldn’t move.

When he woke up, he noticed that he was in a bed, instead of laying on the pathway. He blinked once, and then rubbed that disgusting crust out of his eyes. He was in some sort of bunker, from the concrete walls and lack of windows. He still felt exhausted and the muscles of his legs still didn’t want to move, but he did regardless. He moved the comforter and thin blanket, and that’s when he noticed someone had changed him, he was out of his normal getup and instead wore a simple sky blue t-shirt and grey sweatpants. All his gear, including his backpack, was in a pile close by his bed.

Who had brought him here, and for what reason? The door opened, revealing the last person he’d ever expected to see after what had happened. The red hair and blue eyes were unmistakable. 

“Nath? Can you understand me?” He asked. It was a longshot, but if anyone here could understand him…

Nath shook his head.


End file.
